Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ (15/03/2015, Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park, London)
Position: Partial shade
Flowering period: Late winter to early spring
Soil: Moist, well drained, acidic
Eventual Height: 2m
Eventual Spread: 2m
Hardiness: 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Family: Ericaceae
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ is a slow growing evergreen shrub with a bushy, mounding habit, this is one of the first of the Rhododendron genus to come into flower. Its dark green leaves are elliptic with entire margins, spirally arranged and up to 12cm in length and are brown below. Its pink flowers are funnel shaped with wavy edges, up to 5cm long and held tightly in spherical clusters. These flowers fade to almost white. The fruit of the plant is capsule like.
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ Flower (15/03/2015, Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park, London)
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’, commonly known as Christmas Cheer Rhododendron, is a hybrid derived from Rhododendron caucasicum and another variety unknown.
The etymological root of the binomial name Rhododendron is derived from the Greek rodon ‘a rose’ and dendron ‘a tree’.
The landscape architect may find Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ useful as an evergreen shrub with attractive flowers suitable for understory deciduous woodland planting schemes. It is particularly suitable for planting in soils with an acid pH.
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ Leaf (15/03/2015, Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park, London)
Ecologically, Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ is of little ecological value in the UK as its nectar is poisonous to bees.
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ prefers moist, humus rich, well-drained soils. It prefers an acid to neutral pH of soil. It dislikes dry soils.
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ requires little maintenance. Pruning should be carried out after flowering but before the new buds form.
